The Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) will not only boost the country’s transportation infrastructure, but will also improve the public’s living standards and propel the country’s economic rebound, Secretary Bautista said on Monday.
At the groundbreaking ceremony for the MMSP’s Contract Package 103, Secretary Bautista emphasized the far-reaching benefits of the big-ticket railway project such as comfort and convenience for commuters, creation of employment opportunities and the Philippines’ economic development.
“Today is another critical step towards that aspiration towards the convenience and comfort of Filipino commuters towards a transport infrastructure that catalyzes economic rebound,” the transport chief pointed out.
“The socio-economic benefits of the MMSP even exceeds our expectations,” he added.
As part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Build, Better More infrastructure development Program, Secretary Bautista vowed an elevated and global standard public transportation for Filipinos.
“We promised President Bongbong Marcos a global-standard transport system,” he said.
Secretary Bautista likewise expressed his gratitude to the Japanese government and Department of National Defense (DND) for supporting the country’s first-ever underground railway.
“We would like to express once again our gratitude to the government of Japan, through His Excellency Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa, for their unwavering support to this country’s first underground railway system,” said Secretary Bautista.
“This groundbreaking inside a military camp depicts the overlapping multi-sectoral support for the MMSP. The Secretary of Defense is accompanied by the AFP Chief of Staff and the local chief executive of Quezon City to express their support,” he added.
The Contract Package 103 involves two underground stations and tunnels, including the Anonas and Camp Aguinaldo Stations.
Billed as the Philippines’ “Crown Jewel” of mass transit system, the Japan-funded Metro Manila Subway will cut across eight cities that will stretch from Valenzuela City to FTI-Bicutan in Parañaque City with a spur line to NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
With a total of 33-kilometer route length and 17 stations, the country’s first underground railway system aims to cut travel time between Quezon City and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City to just 45 minutes.
Once operational, the railway system can service up to 519,000 passengers daily.
CURRENTPH NEWS SERVICE
